Queen Elizabeth II in Westeros

After the Targaryens, the Baratheons, and the Lannisters, it seems like the Windsors will be taking over the iron throne of Westeros as Queen Elizabeth II visit the set of “Game of Thrones” in Northern Ireland Tuesday.

But this is not the case though. The Queen didn’t even sit on the Iron Throne, which according to the story is made out of the swords of fallen warriors. Instead, she was given a miniature version of the throne as a souvenir.

The Queen was touring Belfast with the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband, when they decided to visit the set where the popular TV show GoT is filmed.

Game of Thrones is a riveting fantasy TV series based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It is about how different families from seven kingdoms of Westeros fight for the power of the Iron Throne. But what really captures the fans’ hearts is how this film presents a grittier and more adult side of fantasy stories. It is filled with violence as some of your favourite characters get killed in a surprising twist of events, while you see plenty of nudity along each episode.

The monarch’s tour guides were GoT’s showrunner David Benioff and producer Daniel Weiss, who also writes the screenplay. The royal family and their entire entourage visited the Pain Hall studios in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

They were greeted by some of the show’s leading characters including Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Conleth Hill (Lord Varys), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow).

The popular fantasy drama series has been filmed in the landscapes of Northern Ireland since it began production in 2009, bringing in millions of dollars to the region.

The production of GoT bolstered the economy of this region, which was once under turmoil brought by sectarian violence. Now the TV series brings in more jobs and increasing its tourism.